Great pictures! The Geminids meteor shower of 2018 in pictures


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Fire and light

Fire and light

Credit: Ian Forsyth / Getty

Above a railway viaduct at Saltburn By The Sea, in the United Kingdom, a single meteor of celestial rain leaves a trace in the evening sky.

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From a rocky passerby

From a rocky passerby

Credit: Ian Forsyth / Getty

The Geminid meteor shower, coming from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, arrives every December.

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Growing the desert

Growing the desert

Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty

In the Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada, a long, bright meteorite visits the Seven Sisters rock formation.

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A logical name

A logical name

Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty

Another meteor crosses the night sky. The annual meteor shower takes its name from the constellation Gemini, from which springs spring up.

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Superb litter

Superb litter

Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty

The light show is the result of the debris of an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon, some of which can be as small as a grain of sand.

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Geminids

Geminids

Geminid meteor shower 2018, seen from Sunnyvale, California.

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The source of geminids

The source of geminids

Credit: Arecibo Observatory / NASA / NSF

The Geminid meteor shower is composed of dusty fragments of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon located near the Earth, which scientists have been studying for decades. Here, the asteroid is seen in a radar view of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

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The asteroid 3200 Phaethon in orbit

The asteroid 3200 Phaethon in orbit

The orbit of the Asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which passes around the sun once every 1.4 years. Although it is an asteroid, its long journey recalls that of comets. The Geminid meteor shower arrives each year as the Earth passes through debris left along the asteroid path.

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Thursday to Friday, December 13 to December 14, from midnight to dawn – Summit of Meteor Geminids

Thursday to Friday, December 13 to December 14, from midnight to dawn - Summit of Meteor Geminids

The meteorite rain of the Geminids, one of the most spectacular of the year, takes place from December 4th to 16th of each year. By 2018, it will reach its peak before dawn on Friday, December 14, by which time it will be possible to see up to 120 meteors per hour in dark sky conditions. Geminid meteors are often bright, intensely colored and move slower than average, as they are produced by particles released by an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. The best time to watch the Geminids will be the sunset Wednesday until dawn on Thursday morning. Around 2 am local time, the sky will be plunged into the densest part of the debris field. The crescent moon that sets early in the peak night will provide a dark sky for meteor observers.

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Radiant Geminid Meteor Shower

Radiant Geminid Meteor Shower

Geminid meteors appear to diverge from one place in the sky, called the radiant, located in the constellation Gemini. But you will see as many as possible if you lean back and watch the whole sky. They can appear anywhere in the sky, away from this point.

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